In Entertainment, The Talent Is Your Most Valuable Asset January 30, 2014

Written by: Rita Mogilanski

With the speed and ease at which people can track and contribute to conversation around a topic, it’s only natural that the Internet would explode when a 19-year old pop culture icon gets arrested. Like with Miley Cyrus’ incessant twerking or Richard Sherman’s self-serving post-game rant, Justin Bieber’s story spread like digital wildfire, and social media erupted with memes, parodies, and candid opinions around the superstar.

Courtesy of Twittercounter.com

We’ve become fairly voyeuristic as a society with the rise of reality TV shows and our increasing obsession with celebrity selfies. Just look at the most popular Twitter accounts: eight out of the top 10 with the most followers are people – not brands, companies, or even media outlets. The top Facebook fan pages can say the same. It is becoming increasingly evident that most people are naturally more interested in personalities than brands.

The social space is cluttered with brands trying to shine through with compelling promotional content. The entertainment industry is unique in that, at its core, it is driven by memorable personalities that people want to know better. Entertainment brands should take advantage of this uncommon trait and leverage their talent for social content, instead of just solely pushing out promotional content like everyone else.

Entertainment brands could do a much better job leveraging their celebrity talent and show their personal and human side. Most brands under-utilize the content already living inside their main character’s own iPhone which often shows us that they are real people with interesting lives, even when the cameras aren’t rolling. It is, after all, the year of the selfie, so show us some real selfies! Did your star decorate their house for the holidays? Let’s see it! Did they pose in front of their favorite local boutique? Please share! Got a new dance move? We’re ready to learn! Engagement, relevance, timeliness, and fun are what you get when you give us a peek behind the curtain.

Entertainment brands have a leg up over other kinds of brands and can shine through the crowded social space. Give the people what they want: twerking.